Improvement in gig-mills for napping cloth



HGBSSNER. I

GIG MILL. v No. 16,685. Patented Feb. 24, 1857.

a a i 1 L UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST GESSNER, OF AU E, SAXONY.

IMPRQVEMENT IN GIG-MILLS Fen NAPPING CLOTH.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 16,685, dated February 24, 185'? To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST GESSNER,'Of

Aue, near Schneeberg, in the Kingdom of- Saxony, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gig-Hills for Napping Cloth; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and (exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which 'elevati.on of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to the arrangement of the parts of the machine to combine the properties of napping the cloth while it is continually moving over the surface of the napping-cylinder or, as it is sometimes termed, the teasel-drum, of holding the cloth stretched in the direction of its breadth, and of presenting it to the napping-cy1inder in such manner that the face of .the cloth is exposed to view, and of operating on the cloth at several points of contact with the cylinder or drum at the same time; also, to certain means whereby the cloth can at pleasure be brought into more orless intimate contact with the cylinder or removed entirely out of contact therewith without thereby altering its tension.

Themachinecombiningtheaooveproperties and having the above-mentioned means. and devices applied may be constructed in various forms; but to enable others skilled in the art to fully understand and use my invention it will. only be necessary to describe particularly that form of the machine which illustrates the invention in the simplest manner, which form is represented in the accompanying drawings.

A A are two upright standards, and cm horizontal stays connecting the said stand ards to constitute the main framing of the machine.

i3 is a small horizontal frame bolted to one of the standards A A to contain the bearings for some of the gearing-shafts of the machine.

(I is theshaft ol' the napping-cylinder,

fitted to hearings in the standards A A aml frame B.

g D is the napping-cylinder, which may be constructed in the usual manner with ,teaselbars 1) b of the usual kind.

E is thedriving-shaft, which is lifted to bearings in the frame I and the standard A, to which said frame is attached and which carries a fly-wheel l fast and loose pulleys c (I, and two spur-pinions cf.

I is a spur-gear turning freely on a stud g, secured to the standard A and gearing with the pinion E.

G ll are two spur-gears secured together and fitted to the cylinder-shaft O with a feather and groove, so as to be capable of sliding but not turning thereon. The gear A is of a size to gear with the pinion f when brought opposite to the said pinion, and the gear (i is smaller than ll and capable of gearing with the stud-gear I. The gears (i and ll are never both in gear at once, one being moved out of gear as the :other is moved in by a forked lever I, attached to the frame ii for that purpose. The pinion f is employed to drive the cylinder 1) in one direction and the pinion c to drive it in the opposite direction without changing the direction of rotation of the driving-shaft E.

G i are the driving-rollers by which the cloth 1) 1') (whose ends are stitched together to form an endless web previously to the machine bcing set in operation) is moved in confact with the cylinder. The shafts of these 'rollers work inbearings upon or attached to the standards A A, one in front of and the other behind the cylinder. The shaft of the back dri\'-'ing-rollcr G has fast on one end a spur-gear J, which gears with a pinion 71, attached to a spur-gear K, which turns freely on a stud "1 secured in one of the standards A A and gears with the stud-wheel I. In this way the roller G is driven from the pinion c on. the main shaft, the direction continuing .the'same whichever direction the cylinder 1) rotates in, and a similar motion is imparted from G to G by means of sprocket-wheels 'I',

one on the shaftof each,an an endless chain' k. The sprocket-whcelj of the front drivingroller is litted loosely to its shaft, and its connection with the shaft, for the purpose of rotating the shaft, is effectedbya ratchet-wheel 2. races rast on the shaft and a pawl attached to the sprocket-wheel and engaging with the said ratchet-wheel. This arrangement admits of the tension of the cloth between the two drivlug-wheels to be varied by turning the rollershaft independently of the sprocket wheel either while the machine is at rest or while it is in operation.

M M are pressure-rollers for the purpose of confining the cloth to the driving-rollers. These rollers are hung in levers N N, which work on fixed fulcra Z Z, secured to the standardsAA, and are pressed toward the drivingrollcrs by the weights m m, suspended from the said levers.

P P are two stretchirig-cylinders or sets of stretching apparatus for-stretching the cloth .in the direction of its breadth while undergoing the napping operation. These cylinders require no particular description, as they are substantially the sanie as what are commonly'nsed for stretching cloth in the above direction. They are placed one at some distance above each driving-roller.

Q is a guide-roller arranged in fixed bearings near the stretchlug-cylinder l to guide the cloth around the greater portion of the circumference of the stretching-cylinder.

Q Q are guide-rollers arranged in fixed bearings on opposite sides of the stretchingcylinder P to guide the cloth around the greater portion of the circumference of the said cylinder. is another guide-roller above the roller Q.

R is a frame swingingnn the shaft of the guide-roller Q and carrying a guide-roller Q. This frame R has a toothed sector at each end to gear with one of two pinions a 'n on a shaft S, which works in fixed bearings secured to the standards A A. By turning the shaft S the pinions operate on the sectors to raise and lower the rollers Q". A sliding pawl T is applied to one of the pinions with a spring for the purpose of locking it, and thus causing the frame R to be secured with the roller Q at any desired elevation.

U U-U U are four adjustable guide-rollers arranged under the napping-cylinder. The bearings q q of these rollers are severally fitted to work in slides 'r at opposite ends of the machine. The two bearings of the two upper rollers U U at each end of the machine are provided one with a right and the other with a left hand female screw to fit right-and left handed male screws on a shaft V, and the two bearings at each end of the two lower rollers are fitted in a similar manner to right and left handed screws on a shaft V. I The upper and lower shafts V and V at each end of the machine are geared together by spur-gears t t, and the two upper shafts V V are connected by an endless band or chain a and pulleys or sprocket-wheels n t, and therefore by turning one screw-shaft V with a handle 4; provided for the purpose all the screw-sha fts are caused to operate. The arrangement of the right and left handed screws on the several shafts is such that by turning the shafts the two front rollers U U and two back rollers U U will be caused to approach each other or rccede from each other.

\V is an apron made of laths or slats hinged at its front edge to the floor or bottom part of the framing and suspended at its front edge by chains '10. This apron receives the slack of the endless web of cloth.

X is a square roller, whose journals are fitted to bearings on the standards A A to produce a drag upoi'r'the cloth.

(2* is a guide-rollerworking in tin ed bean 'ings on the standards A A.

Z is a swinging frame hung on the axle of the roller Q and carryin two serrated bars a as. Y is a fixed serrated bar attached to the standard A.

y is one of two weights connected with the frame Z by cords 3 running on pulleys 9 and operating to cause the cloth to, have a drag produced upon it by its passagebctween the bars as a: and Y, the object of said drag being to keep it properly stretched over the drivingrollers and guide-rollers.

5 in Fig. 3 represents one of the partitionstrips for dividing and multiplying the amount of surface of the cloth in contact with the napping-cylinder. It consists of a strip of wood or metal secured at its ends to small bracket-pieces O, which are bolted to the standards A A, but adjustable to set the partitionpiecc nearer to or farther from the cylinder. The duty of the partition-piece is to hold the cloth off the cylinder. Only one of these partltion-pieces is shown in the drawings; but in the machine represented three may be used--viz., one below the guide-rollers Q and Q", as shown, another between the rollers Q and the back rollerU, and a third between the frontrollerU and the stretcher M. \Vithout the partitionstrips 5 the cloth would be in contact with the nap pin g-cylindcr in three places; but by using the partition it may be brought into contact witlrthe cylinder in six places. The circumferentiallengths of surface of the cylinder in contact with the cloth at each place may be roller (2*, and if the partition-pieces are used they may also serve to regulate the said length of surface of contact by being moved toward or from the cylinder. The cloth may be moved entirely out of contact with the cylinder, either while the machine is stationary or in operation, by moving the two pairs of guide-rollers U U far enough apart and rcmovingthe movable guide-roller Q far enough from the cyllinder.

The operation of the machine is conducted in the following manner: The piece of cloth is laid upon the apron \Vin such manner as to unroll with the face to be napped next the apron, and the two pairs of movable guiderollers U U having been moved as far as pos sible apart and the movable guide-roller Q moved some distance from the cylinder the end of the cloth is led over the square roller X, thence downward under the roller Q*, partly round the said roller and up between the bars x w and Y to the pressure-roller M, over the said pressure-roller and down between it and .the driving-roller G, thence nearly round the driving-roller, up behind the guide-roller Q and over the stretching-cylinder P down to the front roller U, behind that roller and round the front of the front roller U to the bottom and round to the back of the rear roller U from whence it is led round the front end over the top of the rear roller U to the front of the roller Q, over the top of that roller and round the back and over the top of the stretching-cylinder P, under the guideroller Q and thence (outside'the partitionpiece, if that be'used) under, round the front of, and over the roller Q, from whence it passes to and over the roller Q and thence round the back of the driving-roller G, and after coming between the said driving-roller and the pressure-roller M it comes down to the apron \V again, where it is joined to the other end of the piece. When the ends are joined, the two pairs of movable guide-rollers U U are drawn toward each other and the movable guide-roller Q lowered to give the cloth as great a length of contact with the cylinder in a circumferential direction as ma be desirable at the several places of contact. The position and movements of the movable guide-rollers are so calculated in the construction of the machine as to allow theirpositions to be changed to regulate the contact of the cloth with the napping-cylinder without perceptiblyaitering its tension. All is now ready for operation and the driving-shaft may be set in motion, which sets the cloth in motion at a slow speed in the course just above described, causing it to graze the cylinder at three or more points. The cylinder moves either in the same direction as the cloth or in the opposite direction thereto, according as the gear G or the gear A may be in operation, and the cloth may be worked from end to end, backward and forward, as often as desired to raise the nap both ways without removing it from the machine or stopping the machine. It will be observed on reference to Fig. 2 that the face of the .cl'oth,which is operated upon by the nappingcylinder, is'outward wherever the cloth is ex' posed to View in the machine, so that .the person in charge can watch and always .see the progress of the napping process. It may be stated that a water-reservoir may be placed at the bottom of the apron NV, through which the cloth may be passed d urin g the operation,

to receive the amount of moisture desirable for the napping process.

Some of-,the advantages of this gig-mill over the gig-mills in general use may be enumerated as follows;

First. It admits of a greater amount of surface of cloth being presented effectively in Contact with the napping-cylinder.

Second. It admits, by means of-the adj ustable guide-rollersand partition-pieces, of the extent of contact being, readily and effectively varied, according to the character of the nap desired to beproduced.

Third. The vpower required-to drive it is less in proportion to the amount of work performed than What is required to drive other gig-mills.

Fourth. The nappingprocess is performed with greater rapidity, as the operation never requires to be suspended, but is perfectly continuous.

Other advantages might be mentioned; but

those above named are sufficient to show its superiority.

Gig-mills embracing all the features of that illustrated may be made with two nappingcylinders in contact with which the cloth may be successively passed, said cylinders being provided with such an arrangement of gearing as to be driven to act upon the cloth both in the same direction or in opposite directions. By a suitable arrangem ent of steamheated rollers the nap may be speedily dried after it is laid in a uniformly-smooth manner, and thereby a finish maybe obtained similar to that of the press and of' the well-known steam hot-pressing process.

, What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement of the parts of the ma chine, substantially as herein described, whereby it combines the properties of napping the cloth while it is continually moving over the surface of the napping-cylinder, of holding the cloth stretched in the direction of its breadth, of presenting the. cloth to the napping-cylinder in such manner that the face which receives the nap is exposed to view, and-of operating on the cloth at several points of contact at the same time.

2. The arrangement of the four guide-rollers U U U U so as to be simultaneously adjusted by screws V Vor their equivalents applied to their bearings, substantially as herein described, to bring the cloth into more or'less intimate contact or with a greater or less surface in contact with the napping-cylinder.

ERNEST GESSNER.

Witnesses:

EDWARD MOCKEL, BERNHARD STABER. 

